Transportation planners taking public comment

Ideas to improve roads, public transit, bike trails solicited

Area residents are being asked to look down the road — or highways or rails or bike paths or runways or anything else that enables getting around — and determine just what they’d like to see their transportation system look like some 20 years into the future.

The resulting ideas will be used to shape a plan designed to help guide projects, investments and developments in five counties: Douglas, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte.

Lawrence-area residents are invited to offer their ideas for the $1 million plan, called the Five-County Regional Transportation Study, during a community dialogue session set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Union Pacific Depot, 402 N. Second St.

Consultants will join officials from the Kansas Department of Transportation in conducting the meeting, one of five in the area to help determine what, exactly, people want: More roads? Bigger highways? Increased transit service? More pedestrian-bike paths?

Officials say the focus will be more about goals and vision, rather than locations for specific projects.

The study is a KDOT project, working with the Mid-America Regional Council, Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Office and Kansas Turnpike Authority.

For more information about the study and its process, visit www.5countystudy.org.